


The Kids' Table

by Chlobliviate



Series: A Very Potter Christmas [5]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Get Together, Set in 2011, Teddy Lupin is a little shit, The Weasleys really ship Fremione, but that's what happened, idk why, merry christmas?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 08:45:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16950753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chlobliviate/pseuds/Chlobliviate
Summary: Based on the prompt: "Mum put me at the kids' table"Hermione and Fred, as the only single adults at Christmas, are placed on the kids' table. There have been various attempts to get them together throughout the year and they suspect this is just another one.





	The Kids' Table

**Author's Note:**

> I took a few liberties when it comes to the future generation's names (and ages) because honestly, I think I can name kids much better than Harry and Ginny tbh so I did:
> 
> Teddy is 13  
> Victoire is 11, Dominique is 8, Louis is 4. (Bill and Fleur)  
> James Sirius is 7, Regulus Rubeus is 5 and Lily Minerva is 3. (Harry and Ginny)  
> Lavender and Luna are 6. (Ron and Parvati)  
> Roxanne is ten months old. (George and Angelina)
> 
> Hope you enjoy :)

“Has she finally lost her marbles?” Fred grumbled, “She’s put me at the bloody kid’s table.” Charlie dipped the lower half of his face under his new scarf, not wanting Fred to see his grin. Apparently, his eyes gave him away anyway. “If you hadn’t met Greg, you’d be on there with me, I wouldn’t get too cocky, mate.”

“Yeah, but that’s the difference, I _did_ meet Greg, and now I’m not forced to share a table with small people.” Charlie laughed, “When’s the last time you got any?”

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that, because I need to vent and I’m sorry for interrupting and I don’t want to be angry at your mum, but I can’t help it.” Hermione stormed into the room, the purple, glittery Santa hat barely held on to her curls despite being heavily pinned down. “Have you seen the seating plan?”

“No way.” Charlie almost fell out of his chair, “Putting Fred at the kid’s table is one thing, admittedly a hilarious thing, but she’s put _you_ there too? This is too much.”

“I fail to see how it’s so funny. Seems to me that you only just missed out.” She frowned. “If I refuse, do you think she’ll take back my jumper?” She pulled down the sleeves of her new navy Weasley jumper over her hands. 

“I honestly wouldn’t put it past her. Sometime around the five grandchildren mark, Christmas became an itineraried holiday.” Fred said, ignoring Hermione’s frown. “If you put her more than five minutes off schedule she’ll start throwing unforgivables.”

“What are we up to now?” Charlie did a brief count of his nieces and nephews. “Ten with Ted?”

“It’s hard to keep up sometimes. Sounds about right.” Hermione shook her head. “You’d think they’d put George and Ang on, or someone who _owns_ a child at least.”

“I don’t think people _own_ children.” Fred said absent-mindedly, “Although George says they’re bloody expensive so…”

“That muggle singer, didn’t she buy a baby?”

“Madonna?” Hermione thought aloud, “I suppose she did.”

“Is adoption like buying a baby?”

“You have to pay fees in the muggle world. It’s less straightforward than what we have, but I suppose they also do a lot more rigorous checking. Harry being case in point.” She paused, “Although, now that I think about it, that was likely down to Dumbledore.”

“Good old Dumbles, putting Harry in danger before he was out of nappies.” Charlie rolled his eyes. He’d never been a big fan of his former Headmaster, but that was more to do with the restrictions he placed on magical creatures at school, rather than anything to do with Harry.

Greg appeared in the doorway and Charlie stood up, “That’s my cue. Enjoy dinner, kiddiwinks.”

Both Hermione and Fred seethed after him. “I can’t believe I’m thirty-two and I’m being punished for being single at _Christmas_.”

“Imagine being thirty-four.” Fred shook his head. “Maybe Charlie finally finding someone was the last straw? _Nobody_ saw that coming.”

“She can’t be serious.” Their eyes met, neither of them wanting to be the one to make the Sirius joke. 

“I am sorry, you know.” He started, “I know I probably should have owled you, but I didn’t really know what to say. I was—”

“It’s fine.” She grimaced. 

“You see, you say that it’s fine, but then your face does _that_.” He turned away from her. “I didn’t mean to upset you, I was drunk and I felt like such a dick. Still do, really.”

“I said—” She turned to leave the room but he grabbed her wrist.

“I know what you said. I don’t believe you. I should have followed you when you ran off or, I don’t know, done something!” He looked behind her to the doorway, “You could have owled me, too.”

“I know.” She said quietly. “I meant to.”

“I don’t want to be presumptuous but is it possible that we might have—”

“Oi!” Louis, four, shouted from the doorway. “Wash your filthy hands, lovebums. It's dinner time!” 

“Will do if you do, Lou.” Fred raced towards his nephew and picked him up, carrying him towards the nearest bathroom. Bill appeared in his son’s place.

“It seems Charlie has been spending time with my son.” He shook his head, but he was smiling. “I hear you’ve made the cut for the top table, congrats.”

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, “If this is another plot to try and convince me to date your brother cooked up by Fleur and your mum, I will _hit the roof_. Tell me what you know.”

Bill suddenly looked a little nervous, something that really didn’t suit him. “The party didn’t work out, then? We didn’t get death threats so we thought—”

“Oh _yeah_ , it worked out wonderfully. We both got outrageously pissed on the open bar and ended up groping one another in a cupboard. Then he said we should forget it ever happened. I haven’t seen him or heard from him until today. Where I have to sit next to him all day in front of ten tiny people who are pretty good at picking up on tension. So yeah, it worked out. Thanks.” She strode past him and up the stairs to where she knew there would be a Weasley-free bathroom. She was almost right.

“What happened to you?” Harry was drying his hands. 

“Fred and I are sitting together at the kids’ table.” Harry barked out a laugh, “It’s not funny! We haven’t spoken much since… you know.” 

“Ah yes, cupboard-gate.” Harry nodded wisely, eerily reminding Hermione of Professor Lupin. “Well now’s your chance. You can have a nice catch-up.”

“Why is everyone so invested in this? You do realise if it really doesn’t work out that every holiday, birthday or family dinner will be incredibly awkward for everyone?”

“We all thought that about you and Ron, though, and that worked out fine.” Harry shrugged. “Personally, I think you could do a lot worse than Fred. If it becomes a problem, I’ll be the first to have your back, though.” 

“He’s just so…” She made an exasperated noise, “He apologised for not owling me.”

“Bastard!” Harry feigned disgust.

“Piss off!” She grinned despite herself. “Ok, it’s just today and New Year. I can get through this.”

“Hermione,” Harry said, with an odd glint in his eye. “Have you ever considered that you might like him?”

“That I might— I— How can you— What?” Hermione spluttered. 

“I’m just saying. I bet if you just stood next to him at our New Years Eve party, he’d kiss you at midnight.”

“I don’t want him to— Can we— Harry!” Hermione could feel her face growing warm. “I’m going to choose to ignore that.”

She finished washing her hands in silence, to the amusement of Harry. She took his arm and they walked down to dinner together. As she was expecting, other than the seat between Ginny and Ron, the only other empty seat was next to Fred. She forced herself to smile at Mrs Weasley and then sat down at the children’s table. She had three-year-old Lily Minerva, Harry and Ginny’s youngest on her other side.

Arthur stood up, clinking his glass and everyone fell silent. “Just wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, we love you all dearly and are so happy you could spend Christmas here with Molly and I. We also like to take a moment, when we’re all together, to remember those loved ones who are unable to spend today with us; Lily and James Potter, Richard and Jean Granger, Nymphadora Tonks, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Albus Dumbledore, Andromeda and Ted Tonks, Lavender Brown, Luna Lovegood and—” Arthur paused and took a deep breath. It had been thirteen years, but it hadn’t gotten any easier to say his son’s name. “Percy Weasley. All of them excellent people who I am proud to have known.” He cleared his throat, “But also, we get to be here with Roxanne on her first Christmas, which is an honour. Finally, would you all join me in thanking Molly, Fleur and Parvati for preparing this veritable feast.”

A general cheer of thanks rose as Arthur sat down. When Hermione chanced a look at Fred she was surprised to see tears in his eyes. It never got easier hearing Arthur repeating the list of whose they’d lost. Teddy was eyeing him warily.

“Do you have a girlfriend, Uncle Fred?” 

Fred blinked a few times before turning to look at Teddy. They’d all watched Teddy grow up, and now that he was in his third year at Hogwarts, everyone was starting to feel suddenly quite old. “Not at the moment, Ted. Do you?”

“Not at the moment.” He mumbled. “So you and ‘Mione aren’t together?”

“No, we’re the only single ones left.” Hermione smiled at him. She’d spend a lot of time with Teddy before he went off to Hogwarts. Before being appointed Head of the Department of Magical Education, she’d been unsure of how to ‘do some good’, so she spent a lot of time teaching Teddy, covering both magical and muggle topics. Teddy excelled at everything she threw at him, he was truly an amalgamation of the best parts of both of his parents, along with those around him. All of the Weasley siblings had secretly been a little disappointed when Hermione accepted the job at the Ministry.

“Do you not want to get married?” Victoire asked, bluntly. 

“It’s not that, I’m just—”

“—Waiting for the right person.” Hermione and Fred said in unison. Both frowning slightly. 

“What if you never find them?” Teddy asked. 

“Then I never find them. My life is pretty great as it is. I have a wonderful job, a huge family and I don’t need someone else to complete me.” She chanced a glance at Fred who was seemingly very interested in mashed potato all of a sudden. “If someone comes along who complements me, then that would be nice too. I’m not losing sleep over it though.”

“I like it when people compliment me.” Victoire nodded. Hermione opened her mouth to correct her but Fred beat her to it. 

“So do I!” He grinned at her, “Blown up any toilets yet, Vic?”

She rolled her eyes, extremely reminiscent of her mother. “Don’t change the subject, Uncle Fred. What if you never find the right person?”

“The idea of one right person for everyone is honestly pretty flawed.” He didn’t look up from his mash. “People assume that you’re the same person you were at seventeen when you’re thirty. People change and evolve and grow, and sometimes there are the right people at the time maybe, but how are you supposed to know?”

“Mum says she always knew she fancied Dad,” James said through a mouthful of turkey and gravy. “She was only eleven when she met him, that's the same age you are Vic. Maybe you’ll marry Teddy.”

“Don’t be gross James.” Victoire retorted, but Hermione noticed her smiling to herself a second later. “Maybe you’ll marry the ghoul in the attic.”

“We never did manage to fix his hair,” Fred said, nostalgically. “Maybe I should pay the old chap a visit while I’m here.”

“Nobody’s going to marry the ghoul in the attic,” Hermione said. 

Lily’s bottom lip trembled, “But what if I want to?”

“You want to?”

“I want to marry the ghoul.” She whined. Hermione made urgent eye contact with Fred, both realising that a meltdown was imminent.

“Lilypad, if you want to marry the ghoul, you marry the ghoul. Teddy’s mum was a metamorphagus who married a werewolf, and your Auntie Fleur is part veela. Love is love is love.” Hermione smiled, gratefully as the three-year-old nodded to herself, then continued to eat Yorkshire pudding and ketchup with her hands.

“Impressive.” She muttered, so only Fred could hear. He smiled to himself, which wasn’t missed by the eagle-eyed teenager next to him.

“So have you two _tried_ dating?” Teddy asked. Hermione pressed her lips together both in exasperation and to stop herself from laughing.

“We… haven’t.” Fred raised an eyebrow. 

“Well, have you thought that maybe neither of you would know if the other were ‘the one’, assuming that ‘the one’ did exist because you haven’t given them the chance?” 

“Bill and Charlie?” Hermione said under her breath, Fred nodded, and an unspoken revenge pact was formed. 

“Well that could be the case, but Hermione and I have known each other for over twenty years.”

“Don’t say that it makes us sound old.”

“You are old.” Lily giggled.

“If something was going to happen, surely it would have happened already.” Fred didn’t really know why he was justifying himself to a teenager, but he’d started now. “Anyway, I live in Scotland and she only likes nerds. What’s a bloke to do?”

“Do you really want to get into types?” Hermione laughed, “You haven’t dated a girl over twenty-five since you turned thirty.”

“It’s not intentional! It’s hard to call two and a half people a type.” Fred smiled, this felt more like a proper conversation with Hermione. “You haven’t dated anyone who didn’t need to be told to put a book down to have a conversation.”

“You’re so wrong. Do you not remember when I dated _Viktor Krum_?” She was grinning now, her eyes were blazing and if they weren’t surrounded by children and his entire family, he probably would have kissed her right there and then. 

“The Quidditch player?” Dominique looked up from her book. “ _You_?”

“Wow. Thanks, Dom.” Hermione was still smiling.

“I didn’t mean it like that, but you don’t even like Quidditch.”

“She _does_ like Quidditch players though. I’m changing your type, I take back the bookworm thing. This is even better. You had Dumb Krum, McLaggen, Ronnie, of course. Andre Egwu was pretty sweet on you for a while too if I remember correctly. Charlie’s millennium party?”

Hermione's eyes darkened slightly, “You seem to have spent an _awfully_ long time paying an _awful_ amount of attention to my _awful_ love life.”

Ron and Parvati’s six-year-old twins, Luna and Lavender, decided that this was the opportune moment to make a lot of kissing noises and soon the rest of the table joined in, Fred included. Eventually, Hermione joined in too, much to the children’s delight. The party at the ‘grown ups’’ table had gone silent and they were all staring. Charlie’s shoulders started shaking and it wasn’t long before they were all laughing uproariously. 

***

All of the children, except Teddy and Victoire, had been put to bed, and their parents and grandparents were all in the living room enjoying some Baileys and chatting amongst themselves. Hermione noticed Fred’s absence almost immediately after coming back from replying to an owl in the kitchen. She frowned at Bill, who shrugged, as did Charlie. She poured herself a large glass of Baileys and headed up the stairs. 

“Fancy seeing you here.” Fred was sat in the window seat on the top floor of the burrow, below the attic. 

She took a sip of Baileys then offered him the glass. “I thought taking two glasses might be suspicious so we have to share.”

“That’s very big of you.” Fred snorted. 

“I have to ask you something.” She pushed his knees back so she could sit down. His heart was racing and he downed a mouthful of Baileys a little too fast and almost choked. 

“I’m ok. I’m—” He spluttered. “I’m fine. Go ahead.”

“What does two and a half women mean?” Fred gaped at her before laughing. 

“That’s your question?” 

“It’s my _first_ question.” She countered. 

“I didn’t really date one of them. It was more of a stalker situation, she didn’t like being told no. Never thought my own products would be used against me.” He clutched at his chest. “I was betrayed, by none other than a love potion.”

“So _that’s_ why you finally stopped selling them, and I thought my nagging had finally worked.”

“It was a combination of the two. Having it weaponised against me made me realise how right you were. Not that I didn’t think you were right before, just I—” 

“I was joking. It’s ok.” She patted his knee. “You did a good job with supporting the proposed legislation, too. They probably wouldn’t have won without your support.”

“I had to testify and it was mortifying. George came, but I didn’t want anyone else to know.” Fred sighed and leant his head back against the window frame. “Why are you really here, Hermione?”

“I walked into that room full of our friends and family and I realised that the person I really wanted to spend time with wasn’t there.” She grabbed the glass from him and took another large sip. Fred’s mouth dropped open. “Even if I did assume that you’re still that seventeen-year-old miscreant causing havoc around Grimmauld Place.”

“Oh, you liked that little dig?” Fred smirked, “I really never made the quidditch connection until today, though. Krum, Andre, Ron, McLaggen…”

“And you.” 

Fred thought he’d misheard at first. “Me? You— You, me?”

“Eloquent.” 

“No, but I— Is this— Did Harry put you up to this?” It was Hermione’s turn to be surprised.

“Harry? No. Why? Did he say something? Did he put _you_ up to this?” 

“What? No!” He groaned quietly. “When we were in the DA, I might have asked him if he’d pair us up sometimes because I… liked you.” He trailed off at the end but she still heard it. “Every time that I told him I’d broken up with someone, the little shit would just nod at me with this weird smile. Harry recently had an inkling that my feelings might not be unrequited, but that you probably needed a push in the right direction. That was when I stopped talking to him about you. I know his heart is in the right place but it just felt... manipulative. When we got to Seamus’ party and everyone else had RSVP-ed no, I thought that you were probably in on it too. So we got drunk and… well you know, you were there. But then drunk me fucked up because drunk me can’t quite process the need to deal with things that make me nervous with humour as well as sober me can.”

“You were nervous?” It wasn’t really a question.

“Weren’t you?” His eyes flickered to meet hers.

“Of course I was.” She said quickly, “Sometimes I do forget that you’re not the teenager with bravado to spare, and that’s something I want to work on.”

“You do?”

“I really do.” She smiled at him and started to lean closer, eyes flicking down to his lips. 

They were interrupted by a creak on the stairs. They sprang apart. Fred jumped off of the window seat completely.

“Isn’t this cosy?” Ginny came into view. “Hope I’m not interrupting but Mum wants a family picture of just us grown-ups.” She rolled her eyes before retreating back down the stairs.

“Ok well, I’ll just…” Hermione gestured at the window and pulled her knees up to her chest. Fred scoffed before grabbing her hand and dragging him behind her. 

As they got into something resembling order, Teddy was calling out commands from behind his new muggle camera, with Victoire staring at him adoringly from the side. “Little to the left Uncle Harry. Uncle Fred, if you swap places with Uncle Ron.” 

“Fancy seeing you here,” Hermione said quietly. She suppressed a gasp as his fingers intertwined with hers.

“Ok, that’s perfect. Everybody say ‘Whizzbees’.” Fred squeezed her hand and Hermione knew that the smile in this picture would be the most genuine smile she’d had in any picture ever. 

Teddy was showing the photo around on the built-in screen on the back of his camera, which Arthur was almost in tears about when an owl pecked at the window. Bill let it in, read the envelope and handed it to Hermione. She opened it and upon finishing the first paragraph, she excused herself to the kitchen.

_Dear Hermione,_  
_I hope you are having a wonderful festive season, and wish you all the best in the forthcoming year. I hate to be the bearer of sad news at such a jolly time, but as Head of the Department of Magical Education and one of his favourite students, I felt you should be among the first to know._  
_My dear friend Filius Flitwick passed away peacefully in his sleep last night. Again, I apologise for inevitably ruining your festivities, but he stipulated in his last will and testament that you should replace him as Charms professor should you wish to._  
_Usually I would not deem this an appropriate hiring process, but I feel that it would be imprudent to deny Hogwarts students the chance to learn from you, should you wish to accept the position._  
_Your Ministry salary would be matched, and you would be provided with your own quarters here at the school. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask. It would be a pleasure and an honour to have you as a colleague._  
_Your friend_  
_Minerva McGonagall_  
_Headmistress of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

She sat down at the table, trying to hold back her tears. She knew that Flitwick had had a long, good life and that it shouldn’t come as a shock to her, in her thirties, that her mentors were starting to pass away. She'd lost several before she turned twenty, after all. She took a deep breath and was about to stand up when a cup of hot chocolate appeared in front of her. She turned her head and sighed.

“Not a late well-wisher, then?” Fred was leaning against the counter.

“Flitwick died last night.” She said tightly. “McGonagall offered me—” She took a calming breath. “She offered me his job.”

His eyebrows shot up and he crossed to sit down at the table. “She did?”

“Mmhmm.” She nodded, “I don’t want to make this decision right now, but teaching at Hogwarts?” She looked up at him. “How can anyone say no to that?”

“Do you want to say no?” He asked softly.

“No.” She sniffed. “It’s been a dream for twenty years. I’m just a bit overwhelmed.”

“I know.” He took one of her hands in his. “That’s understandable. Flitwick had a cracking run, though.” 

“I know, I know.” She shook her head. “I’ll be ok, just give me a minute.”

“Take all the time you need” He stood up, “I’ll let everyone else know.”

***

The red-carpet themed New Years Eve party was in full swing at Grimmauld Place. The children all sleeping over at The Burrow, with Teddy and Victoire under the impression that they were doing the ‘babysitting’ and not being the ‘babysat’. It was after eleven now and Fred had been on edge since arriving. He’d checked in with Hermione via owl in-between Christmas and New Year and she seemed to be alright. Neither of them had mentioned the conversation and near kiss on Christmas Day but now it seemed to be looming over him. 

“She’s just running late.” Ginny rolled her eyes as she handed him a glass of Firewhiskey. “Stop looking so miserable, we’re celebrating.”

“I wasn’t— I know— Shut up Gin.” He said with a grin. 

“So, am I finally going to get the sister-in-law I always wanted?” Ginny asked. “No offence to the others. Oh!” She shrieked, “If Greg and Charlie get married I get to have a brother in law!”

Fred spluttered. “Gin!”

“No, it’s Firewhiskey.” She deadpanned, before seeing Harry trapped under some enchanted mistletoe, snorting and excusing her way past people to free him. 

“You look happy.” 

“I can’t tell if you’re being sarcastic or not.” 

“It’s a party, loosen up.” Charlie laughed, “I never thought I’d have to say that to you of all people.” 

Neither of them saw Hermione sneak into the party, her hair down, styled in loose curls and wearing a long, flowing red dress. She headed straight for the kitchen to set down the bottle of wine she’d brought with her. It was a Chateauneuf du Pape and she already needed a glass. She hunted for a bottle opener before remembering that she could remove the cork with magic. 

“Is that Hogwarts’ own Professor Granger?” 

She spun around. “Harry!” She rushed to embrace him, “Sorry I’m late, had a bit of a dress mishap.”

“You look stunning.” He smiled at her fondly. “I know someone who’s been anxious to see you since he got here.”

She had no witty comeback so she just smiled, “Do I really look alright? It’s not too much?”

“Remember how incredible you looked at the Yule Ball? Double it.” Harry grinned at her. “So do I need to go and find him or are you going to be a big, brave Gryffindor?”

“I’m perfectly capable, thanks.” She hugged him again. “You’re such an arse.”

She poured herself a glass of wine before heading into the party. She lost track of time and was having a really nice catch up with Susan Bones when Harry announced that it was five minutes to midnight.

“Susan, I know this is really rude, but there is someone I really want to... need to find before the countdown.” She moved through the groups of people before she saw him across the room. He also appeared to be looking for someone, she hoped it was her. Their eyes met and his face lit up. She pushed past Neville and Hannah a little unceremoniously and threw her arms around him. 

“You’re here!” He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “I thought you weren’t going to make it.”

“So did I.” She said against his shoulder. 

“But you did.”

“I did.” She stepped back.

“And you look incredible. Beyoncé, Rihanna, um… bugger, there was another one but I don’t remember her name right now. None of them could hold a candle to you.” He grinned.

“You know who Beyoncé is?” She asked, amused. 

His answer was drowned out by the start of the countdown. She knew their friends were probably all looking at the two of them, but found that she didn’t care. The countdown had barely gotten to three before she grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket and kissed him fiercely. If the cheers, supposedly for the New Year, were a couple of seconds early, nobody really seemed to notice. Least of all, Fred and Hermione.


End file.
